Mouthpiece.



G. EJSTACY.

MOUTHPIEGE.

APPLICATION FILED SEP'IT.29,1913.

Patented Mar. 10, 19m Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. STACY, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 FRANK I-IOLTON & COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MOUTHPIECE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Application filed September 29, 1913. Serial No. 792,309.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES E. STACY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mouthpieces, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mouth pieces and has for its primary object the provision of an improved mouth piece which shall be so constructed as to relieve from pressure the vibrating lip of the operator.

WVith the above and other objects in view, this invention consists substantially in the combination, arrangement and construction of parts, all as hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and show the preferred embodiment of my inventlon, and more specifically set forth in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section of my invention taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the outer end of the mouth piece; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mouth piece, showing a part of the outer end thereof sect ioned along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looklng 1n the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line H of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

In operating those musical instruments which are sounded by means of the vibration of the lip of the player in a mouth piece, it is a fact that the operators vibrating lip frequently becomes paralyzed because of the constant pressure of the mouth piece. Heretofore many mouth pieces have been constructed in such manner that the vibrating lip of the operator is pressed with considerable force against an unbroken annulus of metal and in the use of such a mouth piece the afore-mentioned paralysis is very frequently induced.

My invention is particularly useful in 0bviating such paralysis and in increasing the endurance of the operator, inasmuch as it provides means whereby the vibrating lip of the player is relieved without detracting in any way from the quality of tone produced.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a mouth piece for cupped portion 14:. Upon the inner periphcry of the flange 13, I provide a recess 15, the edges of which are preferably rounded and the inner extremity of which is likewise preferably rounded, in order that no sharp corners may come in contact with the lip of the operator. The recess 15 is preferably elongated, having its greatest length lying in a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the mouth piece. The outer end of the recess commences preferably at the outer periphery of the lip-contacting surface of the mouth piece and extends inwardly preferably to the inner lip-contacting periphery.

In the drawings the outer extremity has been indicated by reference numeral 16, in Figs. 1 and 2, and the inner end by 17. The point 17 constitutes the place where the flange 13 and the cupped portion 14 may be considered to meet. As above stated, the length of the recess 15 is preferably greater than its width, but its exact dimensions are to be governed by the formation of the lip of the operator, and, according to the requirements of the player, the recess may be constructed to extend farther laterally than longitudinally of the mouth piece if such is necessary. The principal point of construction in forming the recess 15 is that sufiicient metal shall be cut away from the part of the mouth piece brought into contact with the vibrating lip of the operator to admit of circulation of blood in the emb'ouchure of the lip. This will prevent the paralysis or benumbing of the players lip, consequently allowing the player to retain the full sensitiveness and control of the lip and admit of the executing of long passages of music without resorting to the common expedient of removing the mouth piece from the lip for an instant at frequent intervals.

In the accompanying drawings and in the foregoing description is set forth the pre ferred embodiment of my invention, but it is obvious that one skilled in the art may make modifications thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A mouth piece for wind musical instruments comprising a shank portion for insertion in a mouth pipe of an instrument, a cupped portion extending from the shank portion, and a rounded flange about the outer extremity of said cupped portion, said flangebeing provided with a single recess in its inner periphery at the outer side thereof.

2. A mouth piece for wind musical instruments comprising a shank portion for insertion in a mouth pipe of an instrument, a cupped portion extending from the shank portion, and a rounded flange about the outer extremity of said cupped portion, said flange being formed with a recess extending from the cupped portion to the forward or lip-contacting side of the flange.

3. A mouth piece for wind musical instruments comprising a shank portion for insertion in a mouth pipe of an instrument, a cupped portion extending from the shank portion, and a rounded flange about the outer extremity of said cupped portion, said flange being formed with a recess extending from the cupped portion to the forward or lip-contacting side of the flange and being of suflicient size to permit freedom of vibration of the lip of the operator.

4. A month piece for Wind musical instruments comprising a shank portion for insertion in a mouth pipe of an instrument, a cupped port-ion extending from the shank portion, and a rounded flange about the outerextremity of said cupped portion, said flange being formed with a recess extending from the cupped portion to the forward or lip-contacting side of the flange and being of suflicient size to permit freedom of Vibration of the lower portion of the upper lip of the operator.

5. A mouth piece for wind musical instruments provided with a lip contacting flange, the outermost periphery of said flange being unbroken, and a recess being provided in the flange extending from the outer lip-contacting periphery of the flange inwardly to the innermost lip-contacting periphery thereof.

6. A month piece for wind musical instruments provided with a lip contacting flange, the outermost periphery of said flange being unbroken, and a recess being provided in the flange extending from the outer lip-contacting periphery of the flange inwardly to the innermost lip-contacting periphery thereof, said recess being of a size to permit freedom of vibration of the lip of the operator.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 28rd day of September A. D. 1913.

CHARLES E. STACY.

Witnesses MATTHEW Snannnn,

R. J. MOCARTY.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of latents, Washington, D. C. 

